Building the Robert B. Tallman Rowing Center

For almost 40 years, the Haskell Davidson Boathouse on Cayuga Inlet was the heart of IC's crew program. Constructed in 1974, it was a hub of activity -- the site of team meetings, pep talks, celebrations, race preparations, and, of course, agonizing workouts.

But the boathouse was built for a crew of 16 rowers and two boats. Today, the crew program is more than 100 strong, and though we tried to keep pace with the growth through donations from alumni and other means of support, we faced a very real truth: the boathouse no longer met the needs of our award-winning teams. Our beloved boathouse was too small, and it needed major renovations.

Unfortunately, the boathouse couldn't structurally sustain the necessary repairs and additions. So in the fall of 2010 Ithaca College unveiled a $2.6 million initiative to build the Robert B. Tallman Rowing Center, with the following features:

♦ The Haskell Davidson and Gary Kilpatrick Boat Bays to store
the 8s, 2s, single shells, and oars

♦ A mezzanine with ergometers and a balcony

♦ A fitness area for all-season training

♦ A workshop

♦ A coxswain's area

♦ Lockers and cubbies for coaches and students

♦ Separate men's and women's showers and changing rooms

♦ A stone patio plus a storage shed

♦ The Becky and Dan Robinson Waterfront

♦ Parking spaces for cars and a boat trailer

The College offered to support the project to the tune of $1.6 million and turned to the IC crew family to raise the remaining
$1 million. We're thrilled to report that $1 million was raised through the generosity of the alumni, parents, and friends who pulled together for the Robert B. Tallman Rowing Center!

The Haskell Davidson Boathouse was razed in September 2011, and the new center was dedicated on November 3, 2012. Details about the construction, including videos, are available at iccrew.wordpress.com.

The Ward Romer Boathouse, the heart of the Robert B. Tallman Rowing Center